The Pain of Love
by Raven of Alaska
Summary: While out on patrol one night, Raven sees a quite disturbing sight. Her best friend and another in the pale moonlight. In love. Denying her feelings, Raven curses that man that broke her heart.
1. The Breaking of a heart

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Teen Titans. Yet. Ha ha ha!**

It started out simple. Ordinary patrol around the city. The rate of crime had taken a steep fall, but that didn't mean there weren't any criminals out. Besides, Raven liked the night time patrols. It gave her time to think, as well as some peace and quiet that the Tower didn't always provide.

Heading down Franklin Avenue, Raven stopped a pair of thugs who were trying to break into a small business. After apprehending the crooks and dropping them off at the nearby police station, Raven continued on her patrol. The stars began to shine and the storm clouds over Jump City drifted away. A full moon graced the sky, shedding some light on the otherwise dark city.

In the pale moonlight, two lovers walked along the Jump City beach. They kissed, then glanced out at the ocean. Hand in hand, they nestled together, happy as can be. Their lives were perfect, so long as they had each other. "I love you," they whispered in unison. There they sat, entwined in each others arms.

Raven was just completing her rounds and heading home. Hours of gliding through the city, quite uneventful except for the for the attempted break-in. Yawning, Raven decided to take a nice, soothing stroll along the beach before she went home. She didn't notice the two lovers, at least not right away. To her, the beach was completely empty, except for a blob in the distance. Nearing ever closer to said blob, Raven noticed that the blob was shaped like a human. Or two humans, rather, making out. _Foolish,_ Raven thought,_ don't they know how late it is?_ Deciding to scold the two, Raven silently made her way over to the oblivious lovers. When she was close enough, Raven opened her mouth, shut it, and her eyes went as wide as flying saucers.

There, on the beach, was Beast Boy, green changeling of the Teen Titans, making love to a stranger. Well, a stranger to Raven. The woman had jet black hair, which caught the moonlight and reflected it perfectly. She looked to be about 6'3, just a few inches taller than Beast Boy. Breaking the kiss, the girl said, "I love you, Beastie," to which Beast Boy replied, "I love you too, mon belle ange."_ Since when did Beast Boy know French?_

Raven stared, the shock of the sight paralyzing her. Unable to move, unable to speak, only able to stare. Gathering up her energy, Raven teleported herself to the Tower. Tears flowed from Raven's eyes, her lips quivered, a sharp pain began to swell in her chest, and she was confused. _Why am I crying? Why are my lips quivering? Why does my chest hurt? Why am I so sad?_

The relationship had between herself and Beast Boy had grown since the Malchior incident. When Terra had betrayed them, Beast Boy and Raven grew apart, farther than ever had been before and since. Whereas Beast Boy loved Terra, Raven never fully trusted her, and eventually became jealous that she was getting most of Beast Boy's attention. After Malchior, when she hugged Beast Boy, Raven felt comfortable and safe in his arms, even if it had been for a few minutes. She started paying more attention to him, and if either of them were having problems, they'd usually go to each other for guidance and comfort.

They remained that close until the time of Trigon's coming. Knowing that she'd end the world, Raven had strayed far away from Beast Boy, who occasionally tried to get her to talk, with little to no success. After Raven told the Titans that Trigon was her father, Beast Boy put his arm around her and she felt that, just maybe, they could defeat Trigon.

When it came time for Raven to fulfill her destiny, Beast Boy was the most worried for her. He gave her a penny for good luck, a penny that she would keep forever. When Trigon succeeded in reaching Earth through Raven, Beast Boy flew into Trigon's ear and caused the demon a great, painful headache. This also caused him to get covered in demon ear wax. When Raven questioned him during the partying if he'd do it again, for some odd reason or another, he replied, "For you, Raven, I'd do anything."

She defeated Trigon and the Titans were happy. None more so than Beast Boy, who enveloped her in a hug that nearly rivaled Starfire's hugs. Since then, they had become best friends. They both had changed, and Beast ?boy proved himself to be quite the capable leader during the incident with the Brotherhood, when she had secretly feared the Brotherhood had captured the green changeling.

None of these thoughts helped to explain why she felt like curling up in the fetal position and crying until she fell asleep. "Why do I feel like this?" _You know why_, Knowledge replied. _You know what you're feeling. The pain of.._ "Don't you dare finish that sentence," Raven growled. _Oh, but it's true. You. ._"Knowledge, I'm warning you." The emotion shut up. "Besides, that's impossible. I could never feel like that. It's not what I'm meant for. I'm meant to live a lonely life, depraved of the happiness and joy of that particular feeling."

As Raven cried herself to sleep, the pain in her chest grew. Slowly, her heart started to break. By morning, it would be shattered.


	2. A bad morning

**Thank you Wolvmbm, chickapiepie, and dark-fire-rebel for reviewing! Also, Christmas Cheer is on a short hiatus. Now, on with the almighty disclaimer: I don't own the Teen Titans! If I did, the show wouldn't have been cancelled. Raven and Beast Boy would be together by now, and there'd be a Teen Titans game for the 360, PS3, and PC. With graphics better than the first. I've got ideas… but never mind that now. The story must go on!**

As the first rays of sunlight crept over the horizon, a young couple watched happily from the rooftop of Titans Tower. All was peaceful, all was quiet. All was as it should be, right? "Boyfriend Robin, where do you suppose friend Raven is? It is not like her to miss the glorious rising of the sun."

"She had night patrol last night, Starfire. I'm sure she's sleeping."

"Oh," was all Starfire said. Little did they know that said friend was watching them.

Raven watched, her hood covering her face. She stared jealously at them, jealous of the love they shared. The love she never had a chance at. It was painful, seeing them in love and realizing what she already knew. She was doomed for a life without love, at least love on the scale of Robin and Starfire. The bond of boyfriend and girlfriend, husband and wife, she would never experience that. While people around her fell in love, got married, had kids, spent long years together, she would spend that time alone, locked away in some house, meditating and cursing the day she was born. The day she was born, the day when she, merely a baby, became the most dangerous person in the known dimensions. A portal for her father, Trigon the Terrible, to use to conquer the Earth and the mortal realm.

Raven sighed, was the sun rose over the horizon, she disappeared into the dark lair that was her room. The darkness kept her safe, kept her at peace, kept her alone. Raven had to admit, even by her standards, the room was gloomy. _Maybe a little decoration could help._ Deciding that it would be in her best interest to meditate, she sat down cross-legged and began to chant. A couple of hours passed, though to Raven it seemed like a few minutes.

_Knock knock_

"Who is it?" Raven growled tiredly. She wasn't in the mood to talk to anybody. Not after what she saw last night.

"It's my turn to make breakfast, Raven. Are you seriously going to miss the great Beast Boy cook?"

Keeping her voice as monotone as can be, Raven coolly replied, "Yes, I think I will. Leave me alone, Beast Boy." Her heart, shattered into many pieces, stayed silent.

"What's wrong, Raven? You haven't missed breakfast since Melvin, Timmy, and Teether got the chicken pox. C'mon, you know you like my tofu eggs. You said so yourself!"

"I'm tired, Beast Boy. I didn't get much sleep," Raven lied. She gotten quite a bit of sleep, but it was full of nightmares. "Go cook breakfast for everyone else."

"I'll save you a plate, and bring you some in a little while, okay?"

"I'm capable of getting breakfast myself, Garfield. Now, leave me alone!" Raven yelled, making the changeling jump. "Don't save me any of your tofu. I want a _real_ breakfast." A little harsh, but Raven had said worse to him.

Beast Boy stood outside her door, shocked at her harsh words. She'd never said that before. When she didn't want tofu, she'd just ask for some fruit and tea. Raven had never called his tofu fake, she said that she just wanted something else. Usually. Garfield didn't know why, but her words hurt him. "Oh…okay" was all that he said, not sounding in the slightest way hurt by Raven's words. But he didn't fool Raven.

As Garfield walked away, Raven waited for him to say something, anything, to try and convince her to join them for breakfast. When she was tired, and told him so, he used to almost beg for her to come and have breakfast with them. Now, though, well what could she expect? She wanted to avoid him, and if she had to be harsh, so be it. But he'd never given up on her. At least, not a few minutes into the conversation, anyways. He'd give up in an hour or so, due to the fact that the others, by that time, had gotten fed up and started dragging him to the kitchen.

He sounded okay with her decision, but Raven could feel the sadness, the hurt that her words were causing him. Why would he feel like that? Raven just refused an invitation to breakfast is all. I want a real breakfast. Raven's eyes widened at that. She had said that, but didn't mean it. Raven just wanted to be alone, and she had thrown that out there, knowing how much it meant to Beast Boy that he was a good cook. He wanted to become a tofu chef someday, and the Titans readily accepted his meals after a while. But she had shot him down. Like a stroke from a sword, a bullet from a gun, a cut from a knife, Raven couldn't take back her words, words that had stung Beast Boy dearly. _He deserved it_, Rage argued_. He was the one who decided to date without telling you, his so-called best friend. That girl is taking him away, just like Terra. What will be left, just you and us, your emotions. Unless we kill her, then_ "Stop, I'm not killing anybody. Who Beast Boy is in love with makes no difference." Strangely, Rage shut up. Maybe she's feeling the pain I'm feeling. Hm, can emotions feel pain? Yes, we can, Rage replied. "Why would you care? All you want to do is destroy everything? I thought you'd be happy if something like this happens." Hey, I may just be an emotion, but I have feelings, too. "You like him?" Well, I, um, shutting up now. That was strange. Rage, unhappy? That only happened when she couldn't destroy anything. What's happening?

Raven knew there was only one way to figure out what was going on. It was time for a trip to Nevermore.


	3. An Emotional Trip to Nevermore

**Thank you for reviewing, chickapiepie and Wolvmbm for reviewing! Sorry about the wait, but life happens... oh well, at least I'm back! Oh, I beat F.E.A.R. 2 Project Origin, it is awesome! Disclaimer: I don't own the Teen Titans. Wish I did, then the show would be back on. Don't own the lyrics either.**

Raven sat cross-legged in the middle of her room. Lifting her mirror to her face, she chanted "Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos." Repeating the chant a second time, Raven's soul self enveloped her and flew towards the glass of the mirror and disappeared.

"Hello" Raven yelled upon landing. Why is it her emotions were never around when she entered? It'd make things a lot simpler. "Knowledge, are you here?"

"I am now" the yellow clad emotion replied. "The others are wandering about, though with you coming that does not seem logical at all. How may I be of assistance?"

"Can you tell me why I feel so, so...."

"Sad, betrayed, angry?" Knowledge cut in. "We're going to need the others for this... etimicarl rityois!"

"Hey," Rude yelled, "what's the big idea, summoning us out of the blue, pit sniffer."

"I'll beat you up badly for this," Rage warned.

"Are we going to play a game?" Happy asked, nearly bouncing with joy.

Timid stood and said nothing, eying Raven cautiously.

A amethyst cloaked emotion stood silently observing Raven.

"Who is that," Raven asked. The emotion had a dreamy look on her face.

"That's Love." Knowledge replied. "I told you, didn't I?"

"Raven! Let's spar," Brave yelled, launching herself towards Raven.

Wisdom, clad in a black cloak strode over the field. "Hello Raven."

"Listen, you're all here for a reason." Raven then explained the situation to them. "So you see, I don't know why I feel like this. Anyone have an idea?" Raven stared at her emotions.

Rage stepped towards her. "The problem here is that you won't take revenge. He hurt us, and you

haven't taken revenge. Throw him out of the Tower a few times, break a few of his bones by 'accident', let him now how angry you are!"

"If you wanna hurt him, ask him to spar with you. You can kick his green butt any day. Or, just let me do it. I'll go easy on him. Well maybe not, but we can beat him up without getting in trouble. Rage is right, we need to hurt him. Our broken heart should be avenged!"

"That would only make the situation with Beast Boy worse, and might permanently cause him to leave the Titans. Most logically, you should confront Beast Boy and tell him how you feel."

"If we confront him," Timid replied, fear in her voice, "then he'll never speak to us again. He'll hate us, and we'll have lost our best friend. I bet he already hates us for this morning..."

"We need to teach him a lesson!" Rage roared, here red eyes glaring angrily at the others. "He's hurt us, and we're just going to ignore it!"

"Kiss him."

The other emotions and Raven looked at Love. "Even though you don't admit it, you love him. I'm proof of that. Take him in your arms and kiss him like there's no tomorrow. Whisper gently to him. Be loving, caring, never let him go. Let him know how much he means to you. That is the only way for this to end well."

"He's in love with someone else! I kiss him, and he'll reject me. He doesn't love me, never has, never will. End of story."

_The End..._

Not really. Knowledge and Rage started arguing, Raven and Love launched into a full scale argument about the feelings Beast Boy is harboring, and Brave and Happy tried to get Timid to stop crying. Wisdom shook her head. "You'll never know if you don't try," Wisdom cut in, Raven glaring at her. "Confront him about who he's dating, and let him know how you feel. You say nothing will happen, or that he'll reject you. Don't try. Do or do not, there is no try. Raven, you care about him. Let him know that."

By this time, every emotion was focusing on this discussion. Timid had stopped crying, her eyes opened wide. "That does make sense. If he rejects you, then you can move on..."

"Move on, move on?! He's my best friend, and I just happen to have emotions that think I have a crush on him! Say I do have a crush, what then, what do I do? My heart is already broken, do you really think he can fix it? I doubt we'll go anything beyond friendship. That's just the way it is."

"Raven, admit it, you do care for him. You have since the day you two met. As impossible as it seems, you _love_ him, you _want_ to be his lover, and seeing him with this girl has gotten you shaken beyond belief. Your feelings for him have grown in the years you've known each other. It's time to let him know, once and for all, how much you care. If you don't, you'll regret not knowing in the future, when you live alone, with only your emotions to keep you company. Nobody to welcome you home, to tell you how much they've missed you, nobody to say how much they love you. Alone and reclusive, you'll make few if any friends, and your heart will be cold as ice. You need someone in your life, in your future, and Beast Boy just happens to be it. So, will you admit that you care?"

Raven had tears in her eyes. Tears for the future Knowledge had spoke of, a future with a possible husband, a future which could never happen. "I used to care but things have changed." Raven replied, then left.

Back in her room, Raven smelled the faint aroma of tofu. Heading out her door, she nearly stepped into a pile of the stuff. A note on the plate said, _Hope you get to feeling better. You missed breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Thought you could use some food. BFF-Garfield_. She looked at the plate of food, piled high with tofu, fruit, and some slices of toast. _BFF, thank you, my love._ Raven took the plate into her room and chowed down, intent on confronting Garfield tomorrow. She was unaware of what she had called Beast Boy in her thoughts.

The next morning...

Raven got up in a good mood. Today was the day. She would either confront Garfield or fail miserably, in which case she would retreat to her room and meditate. If Garfield had feelings for her, if he loved her, she would be happy. If not, if he rejected her feelings for him, if he scoffed at her love, then she'd most likely leave, never again to see the Titans or set foot in Titans Tower. It was the moment of truth. Slowly, she made her way to his door and knocked.

"Who is it?"

"Raven. Now open up..."


	4. Confronting Beast Boy

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Teen Titans. Thank you Wolvmbm and bigred0991 for reviewing! Reviews make my day!**

Raven held her breath. The moment of truth. Her one chance at true happiness. Would she fly high, or would she fall far? This meeting with Garfield was inevitable, she knew it. "Yes, Raven?"

"Thank you for the tofu... um, sorry about yesterday. Friends?" Raven asked, smiling. It looked to Beast Boy as if the smile would kill her.

"Friends," he replied, enveloping Raven in a hug. "You need this, mesa thinks." Garfield said in his best Jar-Jar impersonation. "So, I take it you're feeling better?"

"A lot better, thanks to that tofu. So, anything interesting happening lately? Make any new friends?"

"Yeah! I went to a video game convention a few weeks ago, and met a lot of people. I have a Bodybook account now. I keep in touch with all of them, espically Ginger."

"Ginger?" Who's Ginger Raven wondered. "So, this Ginger, you two are good friends."

"Friends? Well, you could say that. Or...." Garfield said, letting the words hang in the air for dramatic tension, "you could say that we're lovers." His grin widened, and he winked.

Raven sputtered. "L-lovers? For how long? Why didn't you tell anyone? Why didn't you tell me, your best friend? Why what how," and Raven continued to babble on like this, pretending surprise and showing a bit of anger. Finally, "you really should have told me. I thought we were best friends." Raven said, her voice betraying the pain she felt inside, turning her back on him.

"We _are_ best friends, Raven. I've been trying to tell you for a while, but never get the chance to! I'm sorry for not telling you sooner, its just I'm sorta nervous about telling anyone. Also, Ginger doesn't want me to tell anyone yet. With the exception of you, of course. Ya know, she _is _your biggest fan. Would you like to meet her?"

"No."

"C'mon, Raven! She's your biggest fan in the whole world. She's not like Brahinet." They both laughed at the memory of Brahinet. Supposedly Raven's biggest fan, she took to stalking Raven, taking pictures of her during battles and on night patrol. What creped Raven out was the she always seemed to be following her, not just during battles or patrol, but when Raven was just plain walking around, as if she was intent on stalking Raven for the rest of her life. The breaking point came when Raven caught her taking pictures of her room. Nobody ever goes into her room, espically not a fan who's been stalking her for months on end. She was told never to stalk Raven again, but every now and then, well, lets just say that she is very sneaky.

"Even though she's most likely not like Brahinet, my decision stands. I don't want to meet any fans, never have liked meeting them in the first place. Maybe someday I'll meet her, but I'm not signing anything. Fans can be perfectly happy meeting me. They don't need to have my autograph. That day won't be anytime soon. Until then, I'd advise you from promising her any meetings with me and to not ask me about meeting her again."

"Please, Raven! She's dying to meet you. Just an hour or so, no big deal, right? You meet, you talk, shake hands, and bye! It's that simple, Raven. You've met dozens of fans before, if only for a few minutes. What's the worst that could happen?"

_I could tear her to shreds, torture her to the point where she's scarred for life, unleash all my anger upon her. Give her what she deserves._ "My position still stands. I'm not meeting her." Raven glared icily at him, her face extremely cold, her unforgiving eyes piercing his soul.

"What is your problem, Raven?! You've talked to dozens of fans, signed hundreds if not thousands of autographs, and yet, when the love of my life, who happens to your biggest fan, wants to meet you, you stubbornly refuse to have anything to do with her! What has Ginger ever done to you? Why do you hate her? All she wants to do is meet, and I quote, "the coolest superhero that has ever, and will ever, live." So tell me, Raven, why not now, or soon? She's done nothing to you."

"Yes she has!" Raven screamed, her face betraying the pain that she'd been concealing. She felt like a volcano ready to blow. All her anger, all her pain, about to explode from within her. "She's done the worst thing any fan could do!"

"What's that?" Beast Boy asked, utterly confused.

"She stole the man I secretly love, my crush, from me!" Raven yelled, running out the door as tears began to fell. Leaving a dumbstruck Beast Boy behind. She once again cried herself into a deep sleep.

Beast Boy picked his ears clean of ear wax. Twice. Just to make sure he'd heard properly. Secret love, crush. _Raven... has a crush? On me? Since when..._ he began to wonder. "I need to think," he said to nobody in particular.

**Next chapter: Beast Boy thinks about his feelings for a certain teammate, Cyborg makes waffles, Robin and Starfire spar, and Raven finishes her nap, angrier than before. A heart shattered, a friendship in ruins. **


	5. Fustrating thoughts, vengeful thoughts

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Teen Titans. Thanks to Wolvmbm and Handerra for the reviews!**

"Terra..." Garfield whispered into the darkness. Her betrayal had broken his heart. Raven had comforted him then. Despite the fact that Terra saved them in the end, Beast Boy's heart remained broken. Somehow, Raven had fixed it. Just talking in private, trying to get through that hard time. Raven had trusted Terra, after all her doubts, and she had been betrayed. The Titans had been betrayed. It was not something to be expected, to mourn Terra's encasement in stone. But Beast Boy mourned his first crush for months, in private, away from the others. That had been the low point of Beast Boy's relationship with Raven. They barely spoke during the Terra incident.

When Malchior broke Raven's heart, Beast Boy hugged her, if only for a few seconds, wishing that the hug would never end. He realized that he wanted to be the one to mend her heart. He was there for her, just like she was there for him after Terra. It was then that he realized his feelings for her stretched beyond the boundaries of friendship. It wasn't a brother/sister feeling either. It was a 'I found the person I want to spend the rest of my life with' feeling. That could never happen, right?

Right?

All reality seemed to fly out the window, to fall into the sea of uncertainty. Raven had just said the most unlikely sentence ever to fly from her lips. "She stole the man I secretly love, my crush, from me!" Raven screamed. Secret love, crush, him. Against all odds, Raven _loved_ him. Like Malchior, he had broken her heart. He was sure of it. It wasn't his fault, was it? He just happened to meet Ginger, and they fell in love. It's not like he was planning on breaking her heart. Though, he never imagined, not in a million years, that Raven would ever have feelings for him beyond friendship. They were just too different. He was fun loving, really outgoing. He loved telling jokes. Raven, on the other hand, didn't like fun, and was extremely secluded. Well, used to be. She likes having a bit of fun every now and then, even letting Beast Boy and Cyborg drag her into a game of stankball from time to time. Granted, she never laughed at any of his jokes, but he still told them. Hoping one day she'd laugh. One day, her angelic voice would laugh at his sometimes bizarre jokes. Note to self, however. A flea infested monkey with a hair dryer, shaving cream, and a really bad rash don't make a good joke. They make a hilarious one, until you get caught. Then again, getting thrown out of a window isn't funny either.

Beast Boy smiled at the memory. Good times, simple times. Times now, however, were complicated. Raven loved him, but he was deeply in love with Ginger. She laughed at his jokes, she thought he was funny. Though, she didn't have the same memories with him that Raven had. Endless hours of deep, meaningful conversation. Hours spent just talking, sharing their innermost thoughts and feelings. Whenever they needed somebody to talk to, unless angry with each other, Raven and Beast Boy would always to to one another. They had become very close, even more so after the Trigon incident. Beast Boy had thought of asking her on a date, but kept getting nervous and retreating to his room. When he finally got the courage and was ready to ask her out, Plasmus attacked the city. Then, Beast Boy thought he'd impress her with the tuborkal, part tuba, part snorkel. To say that she was uninterested would be an understatement. It nearly put her to sleep.

Then the Brotherhood entered the Titans lives. Nearly a year of fighting, a year when fear was allowed to creep back into his soul, fear of asking Raven out, fear of rejection. All that time, he never knew. Did she love him then? When he and his team were captured by the Brotherhood, did she wish she could tell him how she felt? Or are these feelings new? Raven seemed angry and jealous that Beast Boy was spending all his time trying to find Terra, who was somehow freed from her stone prison. Now, after Beast Boy told her about Ginger, Raven exploded in his face. Anger, sadness, pain, all evident on her face and in her voice. He had broken her heart, and he felt horrible. If he had known, would they be together now? Garfield pondered this, frustration slowly building within. Not for the first time in his life, Garfield Mark Logan had not a clue about what he should do.

Cyborg was making waffles. What better meal in the world than waffles? Well, add bacon, ham, and turkey, and you've got a Cyborg approved meal of tasty goodness! He was starving, having missed lunch and dinner yesterday. As he finished his waffles, Cyborg noticed how quiet it was. Usually Robin would be looking over evidence or newspaper clippings at the coffee table, Starfire would be cheering on Beast Boy if he was playing games or looking over Robin's shoulder, and Raven would be meditating or reading. How strange to be the only person in the common room at the time. Oh well, guess I get to eat in silence. Hmm... maybe not, Cyborg thought, turning on the TV. "Boring, seen it already, uninterested, to romantic, c'mon, there has to be something on!" Cyborg grumbled as he flipped through the channels. "Finally," he said, putting the remote down and sitting himself on the couch. _Raven would like this_, Cyborg thought as the Criss Angel Mindfreak theme cut through the air.

"I am the Mindfreak, Mindfreak, there's no reality..." and the song went on.

"Raven is the Mindfreak, Mr. Angel." Cyborg whispered as the show started. "Good waffles. Time for some milk!" he exclaimed. "Wonder where Robin and Starfire are?"

_Training Room_

Green starbolts lit up the otherwise dim room. The sounds of punches and kicks echoed off the walls and down the hallway. Grunts and groans filled the air, and the smell of sweat drenched bodies resonated from the training room. "Hiya!!" Robin yelled as he launched himself towards Starfire, who evaded. Rebounding off the wall, Robin twisted himself in midair, brought out his bo-staff, and swung downward, striking Starfire's right shoulder. The blow seemed to have little to no effect on the princess of Tamaran, as she quickly responded with a chop to the left, spun around, and kicked Robin square in the jaw, sending him flying. Dusting himself off, Robin took out a freeze disk, ignoring the searing pain in his jaw, and threw it at the charging princess. _Flash!_

That didn't stop Starfire, not for more than a second or two. That was all the time Robin needed, however, to regain his bo-staff and launch a twister strike. Starfire busted free of the ice and countered with a volley of starbolts. None hit Robin, however, and he collided into Starfire, sending both of them to the ground. Against the alien powerhouse in a battle of strength, however, was barely any competition. He was pinned in seconds. "Nice job, Starfire." Robin commented as she helped him up, planting a kiss on his lips. Smiling, Robin suggested they go watch some TV in the living room. Of course, Starfire had other plans, and they included his mouth, her mouth, and a nice, quiet spot to make out.

Needless to say, Starfire's idea won.

Waking up, refreshed and accepting of her fate, Raven stretched and then meditated. It was no use. She was pissed. Her anger knew no bounds. _How dare that little witch steal my crush from me? How dare she! She's going to be another Terra, just watch. Yeah, that's it. She'll break his heart, and then I can pick up the pieces... or leave him to rot. _Raven smiled at this. _I__t's what he deserves. I should be his lover, not this fan. As punishment, I'll let her break his heart, and then, when he's trying to pick up the pieces and recover, he'll get his just desserts. I'll finish the job. Garfield Mark Logan, you will rue the day you decided to date Ginger. I swear it. _

Raven was pissed. Nothing left to say. She would have her revenge. Raven would do to him what he had done to her. His heart would be dust, and there shall be a hole where his heart used to reside, just like her. Ashes and dust, all that remains of a heart that once beat for him, only for him. Last night made it evident that he would never want her. That he would only want this Ginger he was so fond of. _Well, let him have her. If they live a happy life together, so be it. I will have my revenge, no matter how long it takes. _

_Then what? After you've had your revenge, then what? When you have ruined his life, then what? Will you laugh mercilessly at the havoc you've caused, at the pain and misery you're responsible for? Are you going to live up to your reputation as the spawn of Trigon? Can you answer me that?_

_Knowledge, shut up. I know what I'm going to do. I'm going to ruin his life, though I'm still working on how I'm going to do it. Any ideas, bright one?  
_

_None. _

_Fine. I'll think of something... _and with that, Raven began plotting her revenge.

**Until next time! Updates might be slow for a while, school is starting up tomorrow. Au revoir!**


	6. A Prisoner in her own mind Dying love

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Teen Titans. Thanks to dark-fire-rebel, Handerra, TehAwesomeNinjaTaco, and Black Raven 13 for reviewing! Reviews make me happy! Thanks to everyone for reading! **

Coiling around her body, clamped down hard on her wrists and legs, chains, restraints, keeping her from moving, from escaping. She writhes and thrashes wildly like the Midgard Serpent. Crying out, her voice falters, and hot tears run down her face. A prisoner for who knows how long, she forces herself to struggle. To break free, to make Rage pay. However, her powers are subdued, and the rest of her emotions are lying, gravely injured in the void that once was Nevermore. They will recover, yet it will take time. Time is not on her side. If she does not break free, then her world on the outside will be turned upside down. The Titans will no longer be her friends. Beast Boy will suffer, and perhaps be driven to madness. This is what will happen if Rage remains in control. Terror, pain, and anguish will grip the hearts of the Teen Titans. As she struggles, as she concentrates on breaking free, on trying to summon her powers, Raven cannot help but wonder how this had happened. In the void of her mind, she is a prisoner.

Perfect, flawless. That is how Rage described her plan. When Raven was at her weakest, when the chains that bound her were extremely fragile, when the other emotions guards were down, she attacked. None of the other emotions escaped. With nobody to stop her from taking control of Raven via the Sacred Portal, Rage easily took control of Raven's body and imprisoned her within her own mind. Into the same imprisonment that she had been forced to endure. Rage's lips formed a twisted smile as she thought about how long Raven would be imprisoned. Revenge would be swift, the Titans, including the man who broke her heart, would feel it. Rage, in retaliation to being chained, would cause the Titans to cast Raven out. Beast Boy would never know happiness again. Rage would find this "Ginger" of who he loved, and bring her life to an end. After that, she planned on killing all of Metropolis and Gotham, just to make Raven an outlaw. Then came the cruel part. Rage would let Raven be free, in a world in which she is despised, a fallen hero, bloodthirsty and relentless, in the eyes of the public. As all went according to plan, Raven would be forced to leave Earth. In exile, she would resent those who were once her friends. Rage would be hated, but the hatred Raven felt towards her would only make Rage stronger. Over time, Raven would see things her way. They would head back to Earth, and resurrect Trigon, to serve as his right hand in the countless millenia he would rule the mortal realm. Yes, Rage had it all planned out. Unfortunately for Rage, she underestimated one Titan.

Beast Boy had been on the roof of Titans Tower, pacing back and forth. Raven had a crush on him. Raven, the ice queen, had a crush on _him_! He had pinched himself numerous times to see if he was dreaming. He couldn't believe it. He'd had a crush on Raven since the day they met, and now to find out she loved him... it still felt like a dream. To top it off, he was confused. He loved Ginger. However, he also loved Raven. If he broke up with Ginger and got together with Raven, Ginger would hate him, and perhaps spread rumors about him. If he broke up with Ginger and Raven didn't get together with him one would hate him, the other would say it's too late, and he'd be left feeling worse than when Terra betrayed him. If he stayed with Ginger, in which he would be completely fine and happy, Raven would most likely be left alone for the rest of her life. She'd have the Titans, even after the team breaks up, they'd be friends. Yet, she'd never know love. Raven would live alone, with nobody to comfort her after a hard day of work, no shoulder to cry on when times were bad, she would be alone, bearing the pain of loneliness. He started thinking on what he wanted to do, and was about to make a decision when Robin burst through the door.

"Beast Boy..." Robin said, his voice low, a hint of sadness filling the air, "you've got a phone call. It's the hospital. Someone named Ginger has been..." but he never got to finish that sentence as Beast Boy raced past him, grabbing the phone in the boy wonder's gloved hand. Robin watched him disappear down the stairs, chatting worriedly with the person on the other end. Taking a deep breath, Robin sighed. How could this happen? Robin knew Garfield had met someone special, that he was again dating. He was just waiting for Beast Boy to introduce her to the Titans. Robin had wanted to tell Beast Boy that he knew, after seeing them kiss at the mall. Of course, just going up to them and asking Beast Boy to introduce her wasn't the smartest thing. So he waited.

Waited for Beast Boy to bring her to the Tower, or perhaps for him to ask them to meet her somewhere. The park, a club, the mall, anywhere would have been fine. Now, it seemed like they'd never get that chance. A drunk man had slammed into her car, just when she was getting out. The bones in her legs were shattered, her left arm had been twisted, and Ginger had hit her head and blood seeped out from the cut on her forehead. She was bleeding internally, and despite their best efforts, would only last for a day or two more. When she had woken up, she called for her Garfield, her lover. When questioned, she told the nurse that Garfield was Beast Boy, and she needed him. The nurse called, delivering the devastating news to Robin, whose day had been going great so far. Then he ran to the roof, where he last saw the green changeling. He didn't expect to see Garfield at the Tower for a while. No doubt Beast Boy would stay at Ginger's bedside. When she died, he'd be there, holding her hand. As for the Titans, well... they'd be outside the room, ready to give Garfield the support he needs when it happens, when Ginger goes to Heaven. Whipping out his T-Communicator, he called all Titans, Beast Boy excluded.

Rage was lounging about, waiting for the moment to strike. Cyborg was fixing the T-Car, and Starfire was wondering why Beast Boy had fled the common room in tears, the meal she was cooking being, for the time being, forgotten. Their communicators beeped, and they all answered. "Titans! We're needed at Jump City Grooveside Hospital. Get there ASAP. Robin out."

A shaking hand reached for the door knob. Shaky breathing filled the air, and sweat dripped from a shivering forehead. Beast Boy, changeling, Teen Titan, former member of the Doom Patrol, was afraid. Ginger was on the other side, dying. His heart felt heavy, as if there was a great weight on it. This wasn't going to be easy. Taking a deep breath, gulping, and exhaling, he entered.

"Beastie" Ginger said, letting a small ghost of a smile grace her lips. "I...I was afraid I'd never see you again." A single teardrop dripped down her cheeks. "I love you."

"I love you too, mon belle ange," Garfield replied, wiping the tear from her cheeks. Closing the distance between them, he gently but passionately kissed her. "This...this isn't fair. We were supposed to grow old together. Get married, have kids, enjoy life. It's all been taken way now."

"I know, Beastie. The doctors give me a day, maybe two, anyways I'm going to die soon. You have to do me a favor, promise?" Garfield nodded, promising her in French that he'd do anything she asked of him. "This is going to be hard, but you have to do this," she whispered, looking him in the eyes, "after I'm gone, it may take some time, but I want you to start dating again. I couldn't bear looking down from Heaven and seeing you alone. I want you to find someone, get married, and have kids. Live a long and happy life. You have to let me go."

"I'll never forget you." Garfield said, tears freely falling from his eyes.

"I'm not asking you to. Just please, don't live alone and keep yourself locked away from society."

"I can't promise you I'll be social for a while. Losing you is the worst thing to happen in my life."

"That's saying a lot, my Beastie. I know you can find someone. What about Raven? She's single, am I correct?" Garfield nodded, wondering if fate was leading him towards the dark sorceress. "I think you two would look cute together. Besides, I think she has a crush on you. Whenever the Titans are on T.V., she's always standing at your sides, stealing glances at you every once and a while. From what I've heard, she's protected you in battle a lot more than she's protected the others. Please Garfield, try for me, okay?"

"I'll name my first daughter after you, I promise." Garfield said with a grin. Tears leaked from his eyes, and, no matter how much he wished it, the tears would not stop. Sitting there, Garfield could not help but feel responsible. He had finally made up his mind, his choice, and now the love of his life was suffering the consequences. In choosing Ginger, he had doomed her. He felt like flinging himself off the roof of Titans Tower and onto the sharp rocks below. Or maybe sinking to the dark depths.

Ginger stroked his hair with her right hand. Bringing his face closer to hers, she kissed him. They were alone, her and Garfield, in perfect happiness. They had each other, and that was all they needed. A sharp pain rose from her chest, and she pulled back. "Wow." was all she said. "Your kisses get better and better." She smiled, hiding her pain well. "Raven will be lucky to have you."

"I might not end up with her. How can you be so sure that it's Raven I'll end up with?"

"Like I said before, Garfield, I think she has a crush on you. Besides, opposites attract, and you and Raven are as opposite as day and night." Garfield laughed, the tension in the room breaking. "I'm serious! I'll be looking down on you two from Heaven, you can count on that. Try not to be sad, Garfield. I'm going to a better place. I'll be waiting for you."

"You'll always have a place in my heart. Je t'aime, Ginger." This time they shared a quick kiss, and she sat up, resting her head on his shoulders. Him and Ginger. Alone together. The words between them, nobody would every know. The last words, as Ginger slipped away from him, as her life neared its end, would never be known to anybody else. Nobody, that is, except for Rage, who sat outside the room, listening.

**Okay, ya'll! Sorry 'bout the long time between updates, but you know life. Anyways, I can't give you an exact update date for the next chapter, I'm quite busy at the moment. I promise, however, the next update will be longer. Scouts honor. I'm going to wrap this story up in the next chapter. Stay tuned! **


	7. Of Death, Destruction, and Rage

**Disclaimer: I don't own the ****Teen Titans. **

Rage stood outside the room, listening to everything that was being said between Beast Boy and Ginger. Confusion crossed her face, but only for a second. Ginger wanted Beast Boy to hook up with her. Well, not her, exactly, but Raven. To think, Rage had thought that Ginger was a cold-hearted bitch who didn't care if her relationship with Beast Boy was ruining Raven's life. Now, though… Rage put all thoughts to the side, and concentrated on her plan. Ginger had been taken out of the picture by a drunk driver, and Rage smiled. She didn't have to do anything. Fate intervened before she could make a move. Now, to get Raven kicked out of the Titans… she fell to her knees, clutching her head. As quickly as it had come, the pain was gone. _Strange_, Rage thought, _I usually relish pain._

"Raven!" Robin yelled, running to her side. "You all right?"

"Slight headache," Rage replied. "You take care of whatever was attacking the armory?"

The Titans faces paled. They were nervous. Rage raised an eyebrow, and remained calm. It was Cyborg who finally spoke up. "No, we didn't get him. Blew up the armory, killed a lot of civilians. The worst part is, it was _him_."

"Him?"

"Darkseid. He's returned, stronger than ever. We tried to hail the Justice League, but… it seems the Watchtower was destroyed. Furthermore.."

"What did Darkseid want with the armory?" Rage asked impatiently.

"We're not sure. The police chief said he wanted to talk to us, when we had the chance. How's Beast Boy holding up?"

"I don't know," Rage lied, "he's in the room with Ginger. Door's been closed; I haven't the faintest clue what they're saying. If at all they are talking."

"Have the doctors said anything?" Robin asked.

"Only that Ginger doesn't have much time left. A day or two, tops. There's nothing that can be done to save her."

"Wait! Friend Raven, could you not heal Ginger, of whom Beast Boy has 'the feelings'?" Starfire asked.

"It wouldn't help that much, Starfire. I could heal the scar on her head and repair her legs to where it'd be possible she could walk again, but she has internal bleeding. If I tried to heal it, it would only make the bleeding worse." Inwardly, Rage grinned like a Cheshire cat. On the outside, she frowned, tears coming to her eyes. "I can't prevent death." Her lips started to quiver, and she started 'crying'. The Titans converged on her, Starfire giving her a shoulder to cry on, Robin and Cyborg placing one hand each on her shoulders. All three of tried to convince her it's not her fault, that nobody can stop death. A sharp pain ripped through Rage's head, and she broke away from the Titans.

"I…I need use the bathroom." Heading off down the hallway, Rage found the bathrooms she had seen near the elevators. Nearly knocking the door down, Rage ran into one of the stalls and began to meditate.

**Nevermore**

Raven gasped. The chains seemed to be growing stronger, and it felt as if they were trying to crush her very being. The sudden increase in weight shocked her. Whereas she could thrash about all she wanted, it seemed as though she had been stunned. Unable to move, barely able to talk, or yell for that matter. The other emotions were probably chained as well. Despair gripped her heart, yet she would not give up. Weary and bruised from struggling, voice sore for yelling for help, Raven would not give up. She could not give up. A shadow caught her attention. Turning her head, Raven saw an emotion she did not recognize. Raven's eyelids, which felt as if a hundred pound weight were attached to them, struggled to stay open as weariness began to take its toll. "Who are you?" Raven asked, her voice barely a whisper. The figure raised her hands, and dark purple flames protruded from them. Pointing her palms towards Raven, the cloaked emotion let loose with all her power.

A purple-white flash followed. Said flash was seen by Rage, who wondered what the hell was going on. Strange headaches, bright flashes, and a quick wave of dread that passed as fast as it had come were confusing the emotion to no end. Determined to find an answer, Rage flew off in the direction of the flash. Whatever, or more likely whoever, was disturbing her would pay.

Raven lay on the ground, stunned and wondering. Was she dead? What happened? Who had set her free? At last, someone had ended it. Her torment was at an end. She had passed into the beyond, or so she though. "Hm, I thought death would hurt more."

"You're not dead, not yet." the cloaked emotion said. Walking over to where Raven lay, she extended a helping hand, which Raven took. "With Rage's bonds cut, your strength should return."

"Thanks. Who are you?" The emotion chuckled, and this only made Raven angry. "I'll ask again, who are you?" Raven growled. The emotion just smiled, which made Raven angrier.

"I'm Love, dearie," the emotion stated. "After all these years of refusal, you finally acknowledged my existence. I am powerful, and I will help you defeat Rage, once and for all."

"How?" Raven asked, eager to end her eternal struggle with Rage.

"Well, while I've been nearly non-existent for all of your life, I have been a part of you, and I've gotten to talking with Knowledge. There is a technique you can use to permanently end an emotion. You can only use it once, however, since it will kill you if you try a second time. The Nebrehu curse."

Raven froze. The Nebrehu curse was extremely dark magic. It was said that even _Trigon_ feared to use it. Granted, he had never even learned how to perform it, but it is said he refused to learn out of fear. The Nebrehu curse, as Raven learned in Azar's Grand Temple, could wipe a being from existence, permanently. Not just killing them. Not just destroying their souls or spirits. It erased them. As if they had never existed. Say it was used on a guy named Bob. Bob would disappear, and nobody would notice. Well, God would, but that was an entirely different matter. Anyone who had known Bob would forget him, any pictures of him, any videos, anything that proved he existed would just _disappear_. In a way, using the Nebrehu curse was like playing God. The person it was used upon would be erased from creation. However, it drained the user so completely, that it would take months to recover from the loss of energy, and a second attempt would erase the user from existence. "There's not enough time to learn it," Raven countered, her voice betraying the fear she felt.

"Knowledge taught me a spell, though I've never used it..." Love said, walking over to Raven and placing both hand on her chakra. "Kimortus Ittuti Vernitum, Nebrehu Cursitiem!" At that moment, a pillar of red light blasted forward from Raven's chakra. Love stepped back, and prayed that she had done it right.

Raven's head felt like it had cracked in half. Pain tore through her skull, and Raven wished that it would end. Letting out a scream, she fell to her knees and clutched her head. Then, as quickly as the pain had come, it disappeared. Raven blinked, stood up, and took a deep breath. She knew it, the Nebrehu curse. She could use it, and the best part was, she would use it soon. "Thanks," said Raven.

"Whatever you learned is of no matter" a voice boomed out. Rage, who had just arrived, and therefore did not know about the Nebrehu curse, floated above them, four red eyes glowing with hate. Her teeth were as sharp as knives, her cloak as red as blood, her face a field of undeniable hatred. "Hatred shall rule. I shall ruin your life, as payment for always being chained! You will suffer, your friends will suffer, and the world shall know the wrath of the spawn of Trigon!" Raising her hands, Rage shot bolts of telekinetic energy at the spot where Raven stood. Raven flew into the air, countered with a flying kick, which the emotion easily blocked. Behind them, a scream. The bolts exploded, sending Love flying. Neither of them turned to look, although Raven wondered if the emotion would be alright.

Love lay on the ground. Her cloak had holes in it, and her left wrist was broken. Her leotard was cut in a dozen different places, and her right shoulder felt like it was dislocated. Quietly, she got up. Pain tugged at her to stop, but she didn't listen. She had to find help. Raven would need all the help she can get if Rage is to be defeated once and for all. If Raven could survive that long, that is.

Meanwhile....

"Do you think Friend Raven will be okay? Should I not go and check up on her?"

"Starfire," Cyborg responded, "she's probably teleported herself back to the Tower. It'd be best to stay here, and by Beast Boy's side."

As if on cue, the door opened to show said changeling. He smiled weakly, his eyes were red from crying. "Come on in, guys, I want you to meet Ginger." He scanned the Titans for a moment, before asking, "where's Raven?" Cyborg explained what had happened.

The Titans entered, and Beast Boy went and sat down by Ginger's side. She looked at them, admiration gleaming in her eyes. "It...it's nice to meet all of you," Ginger said, her voice a loud whisper. She smiled, showing the whitest teeth any of the Titans had ever seen. "I've always wanted to meet you."

Starfire shook her hand, then Robin, then Cyborg. They had mixed thoughts. _This is so sad for Beast Boy. Oh, I would sacrifice a lortra if it meant Ginger would live. _

_He's lost Terra and his parents, and now he's losing Ginger; if only I could take away the pain he's feeling right now, I would. I know what it's like to lose a lover, to be by her deathbed. _Memories of Barbra Gordon flashed through his mind, and he held back his tears.

_Such a sweet girl, I can't believe that she's going to be gone soon; grass stain's already depressed, and it'll grow once she dies. It took him months to get over Terra, who knows how long it'll take him to get over Ginger, _if_ he gets over her. We'll all be there to support him, strong pillars for him to lean against. Strong pillars that will never fall._

As these and other thoughts raced through the Titans minds, Beast Boy put his arms around Ginger and pulled her in for a kiss. He smiled, and she put her head on his left shoulder. She sighed, closing her eyes and relaxing.

Raven and Rage struggled for control. Fires erupted all around them, engulfing the ruined plains of Nevermore. Love had disappeared, seeking the other emotions to help Raven fight Rage. She had not returned. Raven began wondering how long until she'd return, if she'd be able to hold Rage off until Love's return. How long until this nightmare ended.

Beast Boy held Ginger close to him, cherishing every moment with her. He knew that soon she would be just a memory, but a strong memory. Her breathing was steady, but her health was declining. The Titans stood in the room, eyes focused on the pair. Sadness dwelled within them, as they watched Ginger slip into the beyond. Robin's thoughts turned to the death of his parents, Starfire thought of the passing of her mother during the war, after her father's death, Cyborg's mind turned towards his mother's fiery death. Painful memories flooded them, and there was not a dry eye in the room.

**Back in Nevermore...**

Rage threw a telekinetic blast that connected with Raven's left shoulder. It exploded, sending cloth and some blood flying. Rage grinned as Raven winced in pain, and grasped her shoulder. " Acheon Nivis!" Raven roared, causing bolts of lightning to flow from her hands. Catching Rage off guard, Raven lunged with a low kick, knocking the shocked Rage to the ground. Quickly recovering, Rage delivered an uppercut to Raven's chest, lifting her off the ground and tossing her like a rag doll. Towering over Raven, Rage prepared her killing blow. Smiling, Rage prepared an ax made of dark energy. Raven saw the blade rise and fall. Accepting her fate, Raven prepared to die.

Fate, however, had different plans. A green blur plowed into Rage, dispelling the dark blade and sending the Red clad emotion to the ground. Green and red rolled on the ground, exchanging punches, curses, and the occasional below the belt remark. Raven stood, and with a _bonk_, fell back down.

"My nobe!" a frantic Timid cried, holding a hand up to her bloody nose. Wasting no time, Raven healed Timid's nose, then went to go help Brave fight Rage. Except... all her emotions were fighting Rage, except for Timid, who was feeling her broken nose. "T-thank you, Raven! C-c-charge!" Timid yelled, flinging herself into the fray. Raven was about to join when a strong hand stopped her.

"Raven, the Nebrehu curse! Get ready, the time will soon come." Knowledge exclaimed, before flying off to join the fight in progress. Nodding, Raven started chanting.

"Excelerion Druidide Archon," Rage sent Rude flying, "Witinde Chelis Intrin," Happy, Love, and Wisdom crashed to the ground in a sickening _thud_, "Quintarium Sepanti Herdvoll," Brave knocked a couple of Rage's teeth loose, while Timid delivered a kick to the gut and Knowledge blasted Rage backwards. "Obiteratus Flandrenicua Yamarggdall," Raven began to walk towards Rage, bathed in a violet glow. Brave, Knowledge, and Timid bound Rage with spells, and the enraged emotion cried out, cursing them while trying to break free, shaking the whole of Nevermore, as Loki does to the world when the snake drops its venom on his face.

Standing before Rage, Raven chanted the last two words, while extending her arms towards the bound emotion. "Grendallis Nebrehu!" Raven yelled, as a green and purple beam shot forth from her palms. Rage only had time to blink before being wiped from existence. Raven fainted, and Timid caught her. The other emotions gathered around, forming a circle.

"You know what to do," Knowledge said. Grasping hands, the emotions began chanting.

**In the hospital...**

Beast Boy was freaking out. Ginger had gone critical, and the doctors had shooed him and the other Titans from the room. Fresh tears streamed from his face, and he sobbed. Cyborg, Robin, and Starfire surrounded him, placing hands on his shoulders, trying to comfort him with words of encouragement. An eternity passed, then a doctor came out of the room. Looking at the Titans with a sad and weary face, he said, "I'm sorry Titans, she's gone."


	8. Free to Live, Free to Love

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Teen Titans. A huge thanks to rocklee4ever, Fan of the Toons, browneyedbaby17, Dreamwriterx3, longliveteentitans, Wolvmbm, chicomagnifico, Somewhere In Time, and Stellucis for reviewing! Also, hours have passed since Raven entered Nevermore. In that time, Ginger died, Darkseid attacked, and now Garfield is alone at the hospital. Please note: Important announcement at the end of this chapter! Please read it!**

Raven didn't know how much time had passed. All she knew was that one, she felt dizzy, two, she had a headache, and three, her emotions were standing in a circle around her. "Ugh... I feel sick."

"Rae-Rae!" Happy squealed, reaching out a hand to help Raven to her feet. "You did it. Rage is gone! Wa-hoo!"

"Rage is gone? I...I can never be angry again?" Raven questioned. She glanced at Knowledge for an answer.

"Not exactly. You can get angry, just your anger won't be very strong. You can't get very angry, despite how you feel. Also, you've been Cleansed."

"Cleansed?" Raven asked, utterly confused.

"Rage was the last bit of Trigon in you..." Knowledge began, but was swiftly cut off.

"I thought I was Cleansed when I obliterated him." Raven stated.

"No, you only weakened his connection to you, and his power. When you obliterated him, Rage was able to absorb all of the demonic blood within you. Effectively, Rage controlled your powers."

"Then why did she let me continue to use them instead of taking over sooner?"

Knowledge sighed, "not even I know. Maybe deception, maybe not realizing how much control she had. Either way, you wiped her from existence. The only being to ever wipe one of their emotions out of existence. Since Rage was an emotion, I know not if anyone will remember Rage or not. Since you do, it is possible that everyone will remember. However, you are now completely human, not even the smallest remnant of Trigon on or inside you." Knowledge grinned, and Raven frowned.

"So I'm powerless?!" Raven asked frantically.

"No, you have your powers. When you were just a baby, the monks of Azarath decided to, how shall we say, back up your powers in case that Trigon was somehow destroyed before you came of age, and his influence could be successfully removed. You keep your powers, but they won't be affected by your emotions. Not anymore. You are, for the first time in your life, truly free. The question is, how will you live your life?" Knowledge asked.

"I...I don't know. I'll remain in the Titans, I suppose. Not much planned after that." Raven replied.

"What about Beast Boy?" Happy asked.

"What about Bea- oh, yeah... um." Raven thought, not sure of what to say, "I don't know. If Ginger is hanging on, I'll do my best to help her. If not, all I can do is give Beast Boy a shoulder to cry on. There's nothing else I can do. We'll hopefully remain friends, and if one of us decides to leave the Titans, or if the Titans break up, we'll remain in contact. Hopefully." Raven hoped that was a satisfying answer. Unfortunately, it wasn't.

"You still love him, Raven. That much is certain. The question is, will you, at one point in the future, seek a relationship with him that is more than friendship?" Knowledge inquired. "Will you decide to try for a romatic relationship and happy future, or will you seclude yourself more, living a lonely life? You could try to date someone else, but..."

"...Beast Boy is the only one I want to love." Raven finished. "At this time, I don't think it would be wise to seek a relationship with Beast Boy. Maybe, in the future, well, we'll see."

Knowledge nodded, and the other emotions remained quiet. With that, Raven left Nevermore, left her emotions, and returned to the world that held the one she loved.

_Hospital lunchroom_

Beast Boy didn't want to be here. He wanted to be by Ginger. However, her relatives, who never really liked him, had requested some time alone by their daughter's/sister's bedside. They assured Beast Boy that he would be let in, but not now. Without argument, mostly due to Robin placing a gloved hand over his mouth, Beast Boy left, led by the Titans to the lunchroom. There, he'd gotten a salad and some tofu. Just as he sat down to eat, the communicators went off. Darkseid was attacking Wayne Enterprises Weapons research lab, just 2 miles from the hospital. Robin and the others had left to go deal with Doomsday. Leaving Beast Boy alone.

Ginger was dead. There was nothing that anyone could do about it. Not even Raven. What Beast Boy hated, though, was that Raven was beating herself up about not being able to save her. She had fled to the Tower, the others had presumed, because she felt guilty about not being able to save Ginger. Sighing, he played with his food, not really in the mood to eat. Whatever he did force down, however, tasted bland. He nearly puked, but his stomach held the food in. After a hour and a half, he had finished his lunch, and tried to contact the Titans. They were still dealing with Darkseid, although they had chased him from the weapons lab. Apparently, he had gotten something important, an experimental weapon of great power, very little detail on what the weapon was at the time.

Garfield, a.k.a. Beast Boy, let out a long sigh, and headed back to wait for Ginger's family to let him in. Surprisingly, her older brother, Jacob, was waiting for him. "Garfield, we need to talk."

"Okay."

"Listen, I"m sorry about how I've been treating you... I'm just overly protective of my younger sister... you meant the world to Ginger, but I couldn't see that. Neither could the rest of the family. I'm sorry, we're sorry, and now Ginger's dead... she always wanted us to get along. Friends?"

Garfield, weary and weak, smiled. "Friends. Can I go in? Is that alright with everyone else?"

"Everyone else left about ten minutes ago. Mom's an emotional wreck, she couldn't stay in the room. Dad and the triplets went to go comfort her. They're probably going to come back, either late tonight or early tomorrow. I stayed to talk to you; you can go in now. Bye."

"You know, you can stay. You don't have to go, Jacob."

"Thanks, Garfield. I don't want to go, but... my mom needs me. I'll make sure to let you know when we start discussing plans for... for Ginger's funeral."

"Thank you, Jacob. Tell the rest of the family I said hi, and they'll always be welcome to come to Titans Tower if they want to talk." Garfield and Jacob shook hands, and went their separate ways. When Garfield entered the room, however, he discovered that the room was not empty.

Raven stood at Ginger's bedside, back facing Garfield. She said something about 'being sorry', and Garfield knew immediately what she meant. He went and put a hand on her shoulder, making her jump into the air. "It wasn't your fault, Raven." With that, he hugged her, and she hugged back. They stood there, motionless, for a couple of minutes in silence, until Garfield broke it. "Ginger would never have blamed you, Raven, and neither would I. There was nothing that could be done."

"I...I know, but I can't help but feel responsible. I might have been able to prolong her life, take away her pain. You two might've had a couple more years together, and now that's gone. I'm-" she was cut off, however, when Beast Boy put a finger to her lips and shook his head.

"It's not your fault. You wanted to save Ginger from death, but nobody can prevent it. That you came to the hospital means more to me than you'll ever know."

The days wore on, turning into weeks. A small funeral and memorial service was held for Ginger, since she didn't have that many friends. Her parents, siblings, Garfield, and the Teen Titans attended, along with a couple of friends that she had grown up with.

The weeks turned into months, and Garfield's demeanor had not changed. He had a false cheeriness, fake happiness, and hid his pain behind jokes. He was more ferocious in battle, less talkative, and even started eating meat. Raven tried to get him to open up, but he was proving to be a problem. Raven didn't know if she would succeed in getting close to him, and eventually got so irritated that she started staying away from him.

A year passed. Garfield went and put roses on Ginger's grave, and then went for a stroll around town. He had tried getting over her, but couldn't bring himself to do it. She lived in his mind, heart, soul. In his dreams, she was there, staring at him. Sometimes smiling, sometimes giggling, always staring lovingly. As he was strolling, he bumped into someone. "Oh, sorry, wasn't paying attention..."

"You mostly don't, anymore." Raven replied. "I've been looking for you. Garfield, would you like to hang out tonight? There's a poetry reading at the Dancing Dragon cafe, and I was wondering..."

"...if I'd like to go. Sure, I guess." Garfield said distractedly.

Raven was happier than she'd been in a long time. After getting her heart broken, going through the trouble with Rage, dealing with Garfield's spiral into despair, ignoring Garfield, Raven had the right to hate him. Yet, she couldn't. She loved him, and even if they never got together, she'd still love him. The fact that he had agreed to hang out with her meant that they still had a chance. Raven's heart did somersaults in her chest, and she smiled. "Tonight, say, 7o'clock?"

Garfield nodded.

Three years later...

Raven laid in the hospital. Garfield was freaking out. The last time he had been in a hospital was for Ginger. Needless to say, he was freaking out. "Gar...field, I'm alright. How long have I been out?"

"Raven! You've been out six, maybe seven hours. How are you feeling? Need anything, I'll go get..." but he was silenced by Raven, who pressed her lips against his, leading to a deep kiss.

"I'm fine, sweetheart. I love you," Raven said, leading into another kiss. A low whine cut the air. Garfield went over to the crib on the other side of the bed and picked up his baby boy and handed him to his mother. "I love you, my baby boy," Raven said lovingly.

Garfield smiled. His world was perfect. All was well.

The End.

**Thanks to everyone for reading and sticking to this story, even when I've been gone a long time... Important notice! I am working on a F.E.A.R./Teen Titans crossover. Please stay tuned! Also, you might want to read Introduction: Raven's half sister. Have a great day!**


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